China has just taken a quiet but critical step in space-based electronic warfare.
A Lijian-1 Y18 rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China at noon on Sunday, carrying nine satellites. Among them were three Diting-01 satellites, which successfully entered their planned orbit.
The trio is named after Diting, a beast from Chinese mythology that crouches beneath the desk of Ksitigarbha, the bodhisattva of the underworld, and can identify all things simply by listening.
The name perfectly captures what these satellites are designed to do.
The Diting satellites operate like sharp ears in space, constantly “listening” to radio signals rising from the Earth’s surface.
They can pick up everything from warship radars and military communication networks to electronic jammers, and instantly locate where each signal is coming from.
In a conflict, these satellites could track an enemy warship that has turned off its automatic identification system, pinpoint a hidden air-defence radar deep inside enemy territory, or map the entire electronic order of battle of an opposing force.
The three satellites, developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology and operated by StarRF, are the initial batch in China’s first commercial signals intelligence constellation.
Space-based radio frequency sensing means placing radio receivers on satellites so they can monitor signals across large areas of land and sea from orbit. Compared with ground-based monitoring stations, satellites offer broader coverage.
The company said in a press release that the constellation would be able to sense electromagnetic spectrum conditions over wide areas, rapidly and accurately locate radio emission sources, and provide “remote-sensing data” and data analysis services at the electromagnetic spectrum level.
According to news portal Guancha, the satellites likely operate by simultaneously receiving the same radio signal from three distinct positions in orbit, using the time difference of arrival to pinpoint the emitter’s location with speed and precision.
StarRF was founded in 2023. According to a job posting from the company, its founding team comes from Tsinghua University’s Department of Electronic Engineering and previously worked at companies including Nokia, Qualcomm and China Electronics Technology Group.
The company aims to build a 60-satellite low-Earth-orbit electromagnetic spectrum monitoring constellation that is independently operated and capable of sensing signals emitted by various radio devices across wide areas.
It plans to provide data and analysis services to customers in defence, public security, radio management, shipping, rail, transport, emergency rescue and other sectors.
The launch puts China in the company of a handful of Western nations with commercial space-based radio monitoring.
The American company HawkEye 360 launched its first three-satellite formation in 2018. Its customers include US defence and intelligence agencies, and it supports maritime surveillance and signals intelligence.
France’s Unseenlabs is known for single-satellite geolocation. Its first generation of satellites focuses on maritime signals, while its second covers sea, land and space.
Before ceasing operations in 2023, Luxembourg’s Kleos Space used satellite clusters to detect and locate radio transmissions, mainly for maritime intelligence and tracking illegal activities.
These companies have maintained close commercial ties with militaries – a common feature of the space-based radio frequency monitoring industry, as such data is inherently dual-use.
It remains unclear how extensive or accurate the Diting constellation’s monitoring will be. A Chang Guang Satellite representative said that no further information could be disclosed. As of publication, StarRF had not responded to an interview request. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
